Potential Elbow Issues

Bigger Stronger Leaner Competitive Bodybuilding
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Guys and gals, I’m looking for some input into a problem I’ve been having with my left elbow. I recently posted something about my left shoulder which has been giving me issues but failed to mention the elbow, which happened earlier and very well may have led to the shoulder injury.

So visualize this: when my elbow is bent, with my upper arm resting against my side and my forearm laying perpendicular to my body (across my stomach), there is a small bump just below the tricep (a little above my elbow). Its clearly visable, and I can feel it, especially when flexing the muscles of my upper arm; I don’t even like to think about it or type it, but I’m worried it’s a tendon problem.

Now, to anyone with a medical background (or who might have suffered a similar injury): any idea what this is? I’m going to a doctor in a week to discuss my various ailments (between my knees, my shoulder and this elbow issue I feel like a physical wreck) but was wondering if someone might be able to shed some light on this before my visit.

It’s really worrying me, the last thing I want is any kind of surgery but at the same time I haven’t felt 100% in quite some time; BP and overhead numbers have been going down and I’ve actually stopped doing overhead movements in an effort to let my body recover on its own. The more I think about it, though, the more it seems I might need some medical attention to get this taken care of.

Thanks for the help everyone!

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[quote]Hambone1818 wrote:
Guys and gals, I’m looking for some input into a problem I’ve been having with my left elbow. I recently posted something about my left shoulder which has been giving me issues but failed to mention the elbow, which happened earlier and very well may have led to the shoulder injury.

So visualize this: when my elbow is bent, with my upper arm resting against my side and my forearm laying perpendicular to my body (across my stomach), there is a small bump just below the tricep (a little above my elbow). Its clearly visable, and I can feel it, especially when flexing the muscles of my upper arm; I don’t even like to think about it or type it, but I’m worried it’s a tendon problem.

Now, to anyone with a medical background (or who might have suffered a similar injury): any idea what this is? I’m going to a doctor in a week to discuss my various ailments (between my knees, my shoulder and this elbow issue I feel like a physical wreck) but was wondering if someone might be able to shed some light on this before my visit.

It’s really worrying me, the last thing I want is any kind of surgery but at the same time I haven’t felt 100% in quite some time; BP and overhead numbers have been going down and I’ve actually stopped doing overhead movements in an effort to let my body recover on its own. The more I think about it, though, the more it seems I might need some medical attention to get this taken care of.

Thanks for the help everyone![/quote]

I have absolutely NO medical expertise, but it sounds like you’ve ruptured some soft tissue, possibly a tendon. I’ve had what you are describing in my left wrist, when bent backwards, for many years, 20+, but it doesn’t give me any problems today. I can even do heavy wrist curls without any pain or loss of strength. If I recall, it did limit me when I first injured it, but it has apparently healed, although, the bulge remains. (NOTE: I took a 20 years layoff from lifting).

All-in-all, I think you’re best course is to see a qualified physician. I never did, and it’s been so long ago since the injury, I’ve forgotten when or how it healed.

Good luck…!

-james

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If it is a Ruptured Tendon that is bad, surgery bad.
However if that is ruled out and it is inflamed the Doc will tell you to not Use it, maybe sling it, put ice on it, take tylenol, rest… Bla bla bla

This was the scenario for me, same symptoms…
It is smart to seek Medical attention to rule out the Ruptured Tendon but if not then take my advice and look for a good and I mean good Doc of Chinese medicine that is skilled in acupuncture…

Use Tumeric Root a(2-3 table spoons daily) and stop lifting for 2 weeks (cardio only)
this is what got me off the side lines for my tendon issues…

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Interesting…thanks for the advice guys.

Inthego, I don’t like the sounds of what you’re saying but reality is what it is, and I guess I’m sort of planning on that kind of response. As I said, I’m already off overhead work and actually just took last week off. I’ll see what the doc says, hopefully it’s not ‘surgery bad’.

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Question (and inthego, you might be able to help with this): if the tendon were ruptured would I be able to do anything with it? The reason I ask this is it’s been like this for a few months, and while my strength has gone down I’ve still been able to lift pretty heavy (for me, that is…reps of 185 military, 245 bench, etc).

I would think, with a ruptured tendon, I’d be completely incapable of doing this and it would get drastically worse. Yeah, there’s been some slight pain (nothing all that bad, which is why I’ve put it off for this long), but my non-medical opinion would be that I simply would not be able to lift heavy with a ruptured tendon.

Maybe I’m being overly optimistic about this thing, but I’m just trying to think logically (or, as logical as I can be while watching Flight of the Conchords).

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[quote]Hambone1818 wrote:
Question (and inthego, you might be able to help with this): if the tendon were ruptured would I be able to do anything with it? The reason I ask this is it’s been like this for a few months, and while my strength has gone down I’ve still been able to lift pretty heavy (for me, that is…reps of 185 military, 245 bench, etc).

I would think, with a ruptured tendon, I’d be completely incapable of doing this and it would get drastically worse. Yeah, there’s been some slight pain (nothing all that bad, which is why I’ve put it off for this long), but my non-medical opinion would be that I simply would not be able to lift heavy with a ruptured tendon.

Maybe I’m being overly optimistic about this thing, but I’m just trying to think logically (or, as logical as I can be while watching Flight of the Conchords). [/quote]

Using it is risking greater injury. You should what you are doing, imo. On the bright side, you may be able to work around it, like cable flyes for the chest, lateral raises for the front delts etc., while resting the area…Just my opinion, but a LITTLE rest might save you a BIG problem…

-james

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[quote]natural59 wrote:

Using it is risking greater injury. You should what you are doing, imo. On the bright side, you may be able to work around it, like cable flyes for the chest, lateral raises for the front delts etc., while resting the area…Just my opinion, but a LITTLE rest might save you a BIG problem…

-james[/quote]

James,

I agree completely; I am resting it, and I don’t plan on doing anything that would aggravate it until I see the doc. I guess my last post was more a question: since I was able to lift rather heavy weights in the past few months with this injury (without it getting progressively worse), would that preclude it from being a ruptured tendon?

Certainly I want it to heal so I can continue to progress, and I’ll do whatevers necessary for that to happen. I’d just like to hear the qualified (or experienced) opinions of folks on this board to see if it could, in fact, be ruptured. Thanks.